Swimming-mitt.



PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

W. 0. WELLS. SWIMMING MITT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,1906.

1 1 m H B U 1 lm [K0 Mil aria-wiel WILLIAM O. WELLS, OF GARY, FLORIDA.

SWIMMING-MITT.

v No. 835,588.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 'Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed June 4, 1906. Serial No. 820.157.

T0 on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that'I, WILLIAM O. WELLS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gary, in the county of Hillsboro and State of Florida, haveinvented certain now and useful Improvements in Swimming-Mitts, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention consists of a novel form of mitt or hand-coveringparticularly adapted for use by swimmers in order to afford a webconnecting the fingers of the hands, thereby facilitating the propulsionof the body through the water.

Though the general structure of a mitt such as embodied in the presentinvention is not new, yet the detail construction of the article ispeculiar and is particularly advantageous from the standpoint ofmanufacture of the invention.

For a full understandin of the invention and the merits thereof an alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means foreffecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showinga mitt embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of themitt, the dotted lines indicating the outlines of a hand tow-hich thearticle is applied. Fig. 3 is a curved sectional view. transversely ofthe mitt.

Corresponding and' like parts are referred to in the followindescription and indicated in all the views 0 the drawings by the samereference characters.

, Specifically describing the invention, the numeral 1 indicates thebody of the mitt, said body comprising a web which is adapted to coverthe entire lower or palm portion of the hand of the wearer whenin useand when thefin ers of the hand are spread apart. The we 1 will be madeof rubber or similar material preferably, and the side portions of saidweb are formed with the integral wrist-flaps 2, which flaps are adaptedto be united or secured together at the edge portions thereof by meansof any suitable fasteners, such as indicated at 3. It will be observedthat the wrist-flaps 2 are extended forwardly from the wrist portion ofthe mitt, as shown at 2, and

these portions are turned over upon the upper side of the web 1 to formthe thumb-stall 4 and the fourth-finger stall 5 of the article. Thethree ed es of the turned-over portions Which form t e stalls 4 and 5are secured to the web 1, as shown at 4 and 5, respectively, by beingstitched thereto, cemented, or attached in any suitable way calculatedto give the greatest degree of substantiality to the article. The first,second, and third fingers of the hand of the wearer of the mittereinbefore described are adapted to be received in the finger-stalls 6,which are applied to the upper side of the web 1 at the forward portionthereof. These stalls 6 are preferably secured at the longitudinal edgesthereof, as indicated at 6", to the web 1 in the same manner that thefree edges of the stalls 4 and 5 are attached to said web.

In order that the fingers of the hand may be flexible and not encumberedby the attachment of the mitt thereto, the stalls 6 are preferablyfairly short, so as not to house the whole of any one finger. The web 1and the portions 2, 4, and 5 will'be understood to be made from a singlepiece of sheet material.

In order that the web 1 may be strengthene'd at its forward edgeportion, it is preferable to form the same With a crimped or reinforcingedge, (indicated at 7.) The reinforcing edge 7 strenfgilzhens theconnection between the several the web 1 from yielding to any materialextent due to pressure thereagainst as the hand to which the mitt may beapplied is being drawn forcibly through the Water in order to pro el theswimmer in the desired direction.

aving thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- As a newarticle of manufacture, a swimming-mitt of sheet-rubber or like materialand comprising a body or web the rear side edge portions of which areformed with wristflaps integral therewith, the wrist-flaps bein extendedforwardl as indicated at 2 an folded over upon t e top of the web, so asto form the thumb and fourth-finger stalls 4 and 5, the free edgeportions of which are fastened to the body or Web of the mitt, thefinger-stalls 6 applied to the upper side of the ger-stalls and preventsweb 1 and adapted to receive the first, second 1 In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature find thifrd finggrs of tlhe lllands, Zaid 1Stags 6 inpresence of tWo witnesses.

ein astene at t e on itu ina e es ther of to the uppefside of t e webthe m WILLIAM WELLS ward edge portion of the web being crimpedWitnesses: or otherwise formed with the reinforcing BEN H. EMERSON, edge7, for the purpose specified. T. A. BIVENs.

